After wrecking hosts’ party, India must sink pirates of the Caribbean

Coach Venkatesh Prasad feels that his players are ready for any kind of eventuality and today’s tough test has actually helped them. ‘‘Most of our batsmen didn’t get a chance in the one-sided games against Namibia and Scotland. But against Lanka the way they kept their cool under pressure has given me confidence,’’ he says.

Keeping cool in Colombo’s energy-sapping humidity was tough as the day’s heroes, Rohit Sharma and Mayank Tehlan, reveal while sipping from their ORS bottles and still feeling the discomfort in their cramping legs.

Chasing 207, India were 28/3 and another wicket would have meant a deeper hole. ‘‘It was tough. The ball was stopping and coming. We needed to work the ball in the gaps and run a lot. With three down we were scared to lose wickets and so couldn’t risk going for the strokes. All this in those conditions,’’ says Sharma, Man of the Match for his 78 and a match-winning partnership of 132 with Tehlan.

But he agrees with the coach that they needed a real work out before the quarters. ‘‘Our bodies are tired but mentally we have become tougher after this game. A win here means we have the focus to play the best,’’ he says.

Tehlan, had to be carried out of the ground after his 114-ball 64, says they have played earlier in such conditions and effected such a recovery. ‘‘The Chennai camp under intense heat, those long training sessions with our physio Muthu sir, the match situation stimulus nets were worth it,’’ he says.

Mayank recalls his partnership with Piyush Chawla in a D/L affected game against Australia in the home series last year, his century on his Ranji debut and several such knocks for Delhi’s under-19 team. Sharma points to his recent contribution: ‘‘You remember Mumbai defeated the Sri Lankan senior side in the tour opener last year, I was there in the side.’’

The big plus for India today was the fact that Mayank and Sharma are the new additions to the list of batsmen who have performed. But that also means that the run-scorers in the first two — Gaurav Dhiman, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravikant Shulka — had an off day. Doesn’t that mean that the Indian batting too looks as flashy? To make this an exciting contest it is quite clear that the Windies spinners too have proved that they are quite wily. It’s survival of the wiliest at the Premdasa Stadium tomorrow.

Taped-ball star sews it up for Pak

Colombo: At their regular Friday-night taped-ball match today, members of the Sagar Sports Club will take the field with their collars up. In the bitterly competitive taped-ball circuit of Metrowheel—a Karachi suburb—this nondescript club shot to relative fame today when Anwar Ali Khan bowled Pakistan to victory over New Zealand.

Anwar’s 5/34 helped Pakistan dismiss New Zealand for 77 and their openers reached the target in 8 overs— exactly the number of overs per side in a tape-ball game.

A loss today would have meant defending champions Pakistan being relegated to the Plate Championship and coach Mansoor Rana, perturbed by the loss against Bangladesh, asked one question to his boys at yesterday’s team meeting: Is this how you want to go home?

Their reply today was emphatic.

For Anwar, who after phenomenal success in the Metrowheel circuit had taken the hard ball in his hand for first time two years back, the pressure to perform was the most. ‘‘He went wicketless in the last match, flopped with the bat and also dropped a catch. The last hurt him the most since he’s easily among the best fielders in the tournament.’’

But today Anwar gave a glimpse of what a tape ball professional is made up of and also the reason for this crude of form the game giving countless international stars. ‘‘In a day we play three eight-over games. Different conditions, varied ground dimensions and a new set of players three times a day. There is no time to rue over failures,’’ he says.

— Sandeep Dwivedi